Internal combustion engine



May 16,1939. G. GROVE-R. JR I 2,158,419

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 17, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Gaozye 'rover, -75:

ATTORNEYS Ma 16, 1939. GROVER, JR 2,158,419

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 17, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IE4? [Bi/42 Ill 443 I 41L 4/ lmT'mfiTrrmwnmwTnk .4 40 A l??? INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS @eorye 'rbveq J5 1 49 rods and the double Patented May 1 6, 1939 mm: STATES I PATENT OFFICE 3 2,158,419 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE George Grover, Jr., Hadley, Mich. Application September 17, 1937, Serial No. 164,385

2 Claims.

This invention relates to'internal combustion engines. It has particularly to do with a double block engine, each block having a number of op 'positely'disposed pistons acting upon a master 5 piston which, in turn, is connected to the drive shaft.

An object of the invention is to provide two master pistons, oppositely disposed, each having a plurality of piston elements secured. thereto so 10 that the pistons in each block move in unison with their respective master pistons.

Another object of this invention is to provide a highly powered engine adapted to produce greater horsepower per pound than any previous deshaft is evenly balanced at all times. The engine is especially adapted to motor vehicles having a rear mounting for the engine since the engine can be mounted transversely of the vehicle and-the drive shaft will register with the center line there-- of. The design of the engine also makes it especially useful for aircraft use where the engine signed engine, and which, due to its novel design,

The features of the invention are specifically disclosed in the following specifications in connection with a 32 cylinder combustion engine. Referring to Fig. 2, the main elements of the invention consist of aligned cylinder blocks III, II, l2 and I3, master power sleeves l4, located in a central bore l5, piston rods l6 and IT, a crank shaft [8, and a number of aligned pistons arranged to operate in thecylinder blocks and connected to radial arms l9 extending from a flange on the midportion of the master power sleeves l4 and I 5. Rods extending through the radial arms l9 are connected at each end to sklrtless Y pistons 2|.

Each cylinder block consists of a circular hous- 15 ing having a large central bore I5 for the master power sleeves and an even number of combustion power cylinders radially spaced around the central bore. Each end of the engine is composed of-two cylinder blocks placed'face to face with the cylinder bores in alignment. The walls of the master cylinder I 5 are provided with slots I911 which, when aligned with similar openings in an abutting block, form openings in which the radial arms l9 may reciprocate.

The spacing of the cylinders in the cylinder blocks is best shown in Fig. 1 where it will be seen couldextend longitudinally along a wing of an aeroplane.

- In the drawings: 35 Fig. 1 is a transverse valves to each other and to the master cylinder.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross section taken on the line 22 of Fig.

ended cylinders in each block. Fig. 3 is a partial transverse cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross section of the engine taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1

mechanism.

Fig. 5 illustratesa plan view of the cylinder head with the end removed as on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2 and illustrates particularly the relationship of the valves to the respective cylinders.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the ring gear mechanism for actuating the valves of the engine.

45 and showing the details of the valve actuating cross section of the engine showing the relative location of the pistons and ing for the piston rods that the cylinders are arranged radially from the center of the cylinder block. In order to facilitate the description of the firing order, etc., the cylinders in Fig. 1 are numbered consecutively from 22 to 29 inclusive. Each end cylinder block is provided with a head 30 having spark plug ports adapted to register with each of the cylinders in the block; The center blocks ii and I2 are likewise provided with cylinder heads 3| hav-- ing similar spark plug ports and a central open-- It and I1. Spark plugs 3ia are inserted in the cylinder head ports and suitable four cycle timing mechanism (not shown) is provided for the firing of the cylinders at the proper intervals. A central housing 32, which serves as a spacer and a housing for the crank shaft I8, is aligned between the heads 3|. A suitable carburetor (not shown) is provided to furnish a combustible mixture to the cylinders through the intake valves 33.

The cooling of-the-engine can be accomplished either by the water method or the air method,

' y the cylinder blocks, there being one intake valve and one exhaust valve for each cylinder. The

intake valves are numbered 33 and the exhaust gears 31 and 38 and shaft 33. The ring gear 35 likewise.

is provided with risers 40 and M on each side which contact tappets 42 and 43 of the valves 33 and 34 (Fig. 8), said risers being spaced to actuate the valves at the proper intervals. It will be noticed that. the valve stems 42 and 43 for the valves 33 and 34 are ofiset from each other diametrically (Fig. 6), in order that the risers 40 located nearest the center of the ring gear 35' may contact one group of valves while the risers 4| located on a slightly larger diameter on the ring gear 35 may contact the other group of valves.

The timing mechanism and valve actuating device are arranged so that the firing order of the cylinders is an even division of the number of cylinders in each block at each piston travel outward from dead center. For example, referring to Fig. 1, e even number cylinders 22, 24, 26 and 28 in block III are arranged to fire simultaneously and at the next'return of the pistons 2 I, on the exhaust stroke for the even number cylinders, the odd number cylinders 23, '25, 21 and 29 will fire. There is also a direct relationship between the firing of the cylinders in the various cylinder blocks I0, ll, I2 and I3. Assuming that all of the cylinders in each block are numbered as are the cylinders in block III shown in Fig. 1,

the even numbered cylinders in blocks I0 and I3 will fire simultaneously, and, after a complete revolution of the crank shaft, the odd numbered cylinders of cylinder blocks I0 and I3 will fire simultaneously. Likewise, the firing of cylinders in blocks I I and I2 is simultaneous, the odd numbered cylinders of each block firing together and the even numbered cylinders in each block doing In other words, assuming that 'the fir-' ing of each block involves only half of the pistons at a time, the firing stroke of the even cylinders in block I0 is simultaneous with the com-. pression stroke of the even cylinders in block II and with the exhaust stroke of the odd cylinders in block II, and with the intake stroke of the odd cylinders in block I0.

7 It will be evident that the forces on the master power sleeves I4 due to the power cylinders will at all times be forces which are balanced in a direction parallel with the axis of the power sleeve. This permits the use of skirtless or short pistons shaft.

set up by the piston rods I6 and I1. Due to the fact that there are two piston rods acting simultaneously on the crank shaft I8 at all times, there will be perfect balance in this respect. For example, referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the firing of the pistons in blocks I0 and I3 is simultaneous so that the counterclockwise torque applied to the crankshaft by the two piston rods I6 and I1 is exactly equal.

If desired the engine could be composed of 8 cylinder blocks instead of 4 as shown. In this case the additional four would be set at right angles to the present four and the additional piston rods would be attached to the same crank- I' claim: I

1. In an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of oppositely disposed cylinder blocks each having a central longitudinal bore and a plurality of opposed double ended cylinders disposed parallel with and around said central bore, a composite piston in each of said blocks comprising a sleeve slidably fitted in said central bore, pistons facing each end of said cylinders and means connecting said sleeve and said pistons rigidly together, a crankshaft, piston rod means for operatively connecting said crankshaft and said sleeves, and intake and exhaust valves in said cylinder blocks, means for actuat ing said valves comprising a ring gear, driving means for actuating said ring gear from the crankshaft, and risers on said ring gears for actuating said valves.

. 2. In an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of oppositely disposed cylinder blocks each having a central longitudinal bore and a plurality of opposed double ended cylinders disposed parallel with and around said central bore, a composite piston in each of said blocks comprising a sleeve slidably fitted in said central bore, pistons facing each end of said cylinders and means connecting said sleeve and said pistons rigidly together, a crankshaft, piston rod means for operatively connecting said crankshaft and said sleeves, and intake and exhaust valves in said cylinder blocks, means for actuating said 

